Fire support for flood-hit areas

Emergency services in flood-hit Inverurie

Published:09:00Sunday 10 January 2016

Specialist fire equipment and crews from across Scotland have been sent to the North-east to help devastated communties.

Local firefighters, control staff and incident commanders have been working around the clock alongside members of the communities, volunteers, Police Scotland, local authorities, SEPA, Marine Coastguard Agency and the Scottish Ambulance Service, to protect and support those affected.

House in Ellon marooned by floods.

The unprecedented weather conditions and flooding experienced has required a response never before seen over such a long period and the national service has deployed specialist resources and staff from across the country to supplement local specialist crews in the worst-hit areas of the North-east.

An incident support room was established in Johnstone Control to co-ordinate the movement of assets from the East and West of Scotland to the North.

Dundee and Aberdeen activated their Incident Support Rooms to provide logistical support to busy controls and to ensure the co-ordination of the deployment of specialist resources across the North East.

Over the past few days the service has pre-deployed water rescue teams from Inverness, Elgin, Perth, Dundee, Stirling and Motherwell to where they were most needed in the North. They have assisted with hundreds of evacuations and rescues during the last 10 days.

In addition, high volume pumps from Falkirk and Elgin have been utilised to help protect infrastructure such as electrical sub-stations and to remove flood water. A flood support unit from Renfrew was also deployed to enable protracted use of equipment in challenging environmental conditions.

Deputy assistant chief officer Andy Coueslant, head of service delivery for the North of Scotland praised all those involved for the way they have responded to the devastating flooding.

He said: “My heart goes out to all those people who have been so badly affected by the flooding. The devastation people have faced is indescribable but once again I am astounded by their incredible resilience in the face of adversity.

“I cannot praise our firefighters, control staff, incident commanders, partners, volunteers and the local communities highly enough. Their dedication and efforts to help those affected have been extraordinary.

“Working in partnership has been key to co-ordinating help for those who need it and ensuring people’s continued safety in atrocious conditions.

“The extreme and protracted conditions we faced in the North-east required additional resource to help evacuate and rescue people in the worst-affected areas.

“The fact that we have been able to pre-deploy and then use specialist crews and equipment quickly and efficiently from across the whole of Scotland has enabled us to provide a first class rescue service to the people in the North.”